Pros and Cons of Wool Carpet

Wool Carpet Pros & Cons

Wool carpet happens to be one of the most popular types of flooring in the world. As we all know, wool is gotten from the fleece of lambs which makes it one of the oldest fibers used by man, dating back over two thousand years. It’s pretty obvious that wool is still one of the finest fibers used for carpets and many homeowners swear by it to this day.

Well, before getting your wool carpet, here are some few pros and cons that come with the fiber.

Pros of Wool Carpets

Excellent Dirt Hiding Capability

One of the best advantages of wool carpeting is its ability to hide soil. In essence, wool will not show dirt as other fibers owing to the fact that wool is an opaque fiber. This is why wool carpets are better than synthetic fibers. Also, since wool is an opaque fiber, light makes the dirt harder to see. So, even if dirt is on your carpet, you’ll have a hard time noticing it in wool thanks to naturally dull appearance offered by the scale of the epidermis.

Made Naturally

If you’ve always preferred natural items over synthetic ones, wool carpeting should be your number choice for your home or office. Since wool is derived from the fleece of lambs, it’s a no-brainer to know that it’s completely natural. Also, most people tend to prefer this kind of carpeting because of how soft it feels.

Strong, Elastic and Resilient

Wool yarn tends to be robust and elastic. High-quality wool carpets are sure to withstand the heaviest traffic and still maintain its beautiful looks.

It’s Inflammable

Another big thing people love about wool carpet is its capability to resist flames. There is a high chance that you may never have a fire in your home but many corporate offices and organizations install wool carpeting in their buildings to be on the safer side. In essence, its resistance to fire is more like a safety measure in the event of a fire emergency.

It’s An Excellent Insulator

During the chilly winter months, you’ll surely be glad you choose wool carpeting. Wool carpets work well as an insulator for your home as it has the ability to trap heat and keep the room warm even if it’s freezing outdoors. The natural crimp in wool is what makes it an excellent insulator.

Responds To Cleaning

Another thing is that wool responds well to cleaning as moisture tends to make the fiber swell and release soil and dirt.

Cons of Wool Carpets

Sensitive To Stains and Chemicals

Looking at the soft and tender texture of wool carpets, it’s pretty evident that such fiber is not meant for families with young and messy kids. For instance, just one spilled drink can give your new carpeting a stain for the rest of its life. Remember, wool has the ability to hold its color, and that makes it excellent for dying but extremely terrible for stains.

Also, wool carpeting tends to be easily affected by chemicals. Wool is known to be sensitive to alkaline chemicals above a pH of 9.5 after prolonged exposure. It also has a sensitivity to chlorine bleach which tends to be found in homes and grocery stores. For instance, if you accidentally spill a bottle of bleach on your carpet, you may find that the fibers have been dissolved and this could happen in minutes.

Expensive

When we talk of cost, we’re not necessarily talking about the material itself; you can get wool for about $5 to $26 per square foot. While wool can be gotten at a fair price, the carpeting is what is going to cost you. So, the cost typically arises from the processing, preparation, cleaning, etc.

Prone To Distortion

Wool fibers can be easily distorted or even damaged beyond repair. It can be distorted by excess agitations wand marks and jet streaks which tend to be more visible when it happens under heated conditions. In essence, heat can cause significant damage to wool fibers. Synthetic fibers may have a chance to regain its shape after some kind of disturbance, but wool fibers won’t get so lucky.

Prone To Fuzzing

The overall installation process of wool carpeting makes it more susceptible to fuzzing. Fuzzing occurs when your carpeting is constantly agitated through continuous back and forth movement of furniture across the floor. Fuzzing can be troublesome because wool tend to come as a staple yarn and excess agitation can produce the fuzzy effect.

With all that has been said, it’s pretty obvious that wool carpeting works best for those of us who are interested in the finer things of life. From the above-mentioned pros and cons, it is clear that wool carpeting performs better in situations of no staining, low abrasion, and low heat environments. So if you wish to go for wool carpets, be sure that you’re willing to take care of it correctly so you can enjoy your investment.

About Joanne’s Chem-Dry of NJ

Joanne’s Chem-Dry of NJ offer professional carpet cleaning for all carpet materials and fabrics, including wool carpet.